Final Home Evaluation

Final Home Evaluation

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Introduction

The follow-up for a Mid-Construction Air-Test is a Final Home Evaluation. The team from Homesol Building Solutions provides a final inspection of a newly built or renovated house to assure all of the mechanical systems are in place for the energy certificate or label.

Final Home Evaluation

At final inspection or evaluation, we come to the house close to when the house is completed and we do an air-tightness test. It’s one of the things that we do for all about Energy Star and Net-Zero R2000 homes. And the process would be that we would take photo documentation of the exterior of the house and elevation so someone can compare to the plans and to the energy model that the house is what it is and also to document the mechanical systems and anything else that is visually available for us to document at this stage.

And then all that gets put into the file and then it gets cross-checked with what is put into the energy model and what the specs are. And if anything differs in a substantial degree than we can count as a deficiency and work with the builder to offset any that may be present.

Final Air Test

So another part of the process of the final evaluation set up to blower door at the front door or any of the exterior doors, make sure that all the windows and doors to the exterior are closed. Make sure all the interior doors are open so that there’s good flow throughout the house and then run the air test to check for additional holes and leaks.

Quality Assurance

So even though a project has had a passing, mid-construction, air-test a final test is still required because many things can happen between that mid-construction air test and the final holes can be put into the air barrier that gets covered up and represents an air leak. So that’s why it’s good quality assurance for the final air test to confirm the actual air tightness of the house.

If you are interested in a Final Home evaluation for your houses or construction projects, get started with Homesol Building Solutions today!

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Homesol on The Building Science Podcast

Homesol on The Building Science Podcast

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Featuring Our Ontario Manager, Stephen Magneron

Recently, our Ontario Manager, Stephen Magneron was featured on the This Must Be The Place: The Building Science Podcast by Shawna Henderson. Shawna and Stephen spoke at great lengths about the current challenges the industry faces and what we need to do to overcome those challenges to be environmentally friendly and more energy efficient. Listen for free on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Listen Here!

mid construction air tightness (1)

Mid-Construction Air-Tightness Testing

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Mid-Construction Air-Tightness Testing

Homesol Building Solutions offers mid-construction air-tightness tests to builders looking to make more energy-efficient homes. Our mid-construction air-tests show builders where the air leaks are in their builds, so they can be properly sealed before the work covers them up leading to less energy waste.

The Importance of a Mid-Construction Air-Test

The first requirement in conducting a mid-construction air-test, the house needs to be prepared. For a house to be prepared, the air barrier needs to be complete. Whatever the primary air barrier is, there could be multiple air barriers, but as long as one is complete, then we can come in to do a mid-construction test that will include the windows and doors needing to be installed prior to our test.

The mid-construction air-test is a great marker to make sure that the air barrier is as complete as possible at that point so that they can continue on in the process of construction, knowing that they’re already achieving the air tightness target. And if they happen to not be, then we can go around looking for air leaks before they get covered up.

How the Test Works

So the process that happens with the mid-construction air-test is that we come in and we have to have power, that’s a big one, which is not always the case in the during construction, in which case sometimes they’ll bring over a portable generator. But as long as we have power, then we can run our fan and run our laptops. Then we set up the blower door. We make sure that all the windows and doors are closed. We spot check for other areas where the air barrier may not be complete, and then we run the test.

And when we finish the test, we can get a result to see if we need to look around for air leaks. And when we look around for air leaks at this time, the best method is to feel with our hands and use special infrared cameras in typical areas where we find air leaks, and then inform the builder on where they are so they can be sealed before construction can continue.

Interested in a mid-construction air-tightness test for your construction operation? Contact Homesol Building Solutions to get started!

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Homesol Is Expanding Across Ontario

Homesol Is Expanding Across Ontario

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Homesol is Expanding

As the demand for Registered Energy Advisors across Canada increases to build better and more energy-efficient homes & buildings, Homesol Building Solutions continues to grow across Canada. We now have Energy Advisors in the Greater Toronto Area, Sudbury Ontario, and North Bay Ontario. Contact Homesol Building Solutions today to book an Energy Assessment for your home to see if you qualify for home energy upgrades.

Contact Us!

being an energy advisor

What is it Like Being an Energy Advisor?

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Written by David Hope, Energy Advisor and Ontario Assistant Regional Manager at Homesol Building Solutions

Over the last 3+ years, I have had the good fortune of being a Registered Energy Advisor (REA) with Homesol Building Solutions Inc.

Starting this new career was not the easiest transition for me, but it has yielded tremendous opportunities. My previous career as a Certified Carpenter provided a lot of transferable skills to assist in the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) on-site residential home energy evaluations. It was the computer modelling and report writing, aka desk work, that challenged me. After finding a new balance and realizing the potential flexibility in my work and personal schedule, I found a great appreciation for my new position as an REA.

Attaining your Natural Resources Canada licence to become an REA can be just the beginning. Beyond the Federal Greener Homes Grant Initiative there are opportunities to pursue continuing education as a Multi-unit Residential Building (MURB) Energy Advisor; Quality Assurance Specialist in both Residential and MURB’s; EnergyStar, NetZero, LEED, and Passive House Third Party Verifier; and Building Science Consultant on both existing and new residential home construction.

Homesol Building Solutions Inc. has conducted itself as a group of professional Energy Conservation Consultants since 1999. Founded in Perth, Ontario, we now serve Canadians from coast to coast!

Homesol’s Energy Advisors and green building consultants work with builders, renovators, designers and homeowners in Ontario, Atlantic Canada and throughout North America, to deliver energy-efficient green building solutions for residential new construction or retrofit projects, from energy modelling, thermography and “blower door” air leakage testing, to ENERGY STAR Certified homes and third-party verified EnerGuide Ratings, and high-performance R-2000, Net Zero, Passive House and beyond.

Residential buildings, done right, can easily enjoy fresh, clean air and comfortable temperatures year-round, with a substantial reduction in energy use over standard construction, while addressing water use, indoor air quality and environmentally-preferable materials.

Better Homes Ottawa - Loan Program

Better Homes Ottawa – Loan Program

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Ottawa, Ontario

The City of Ottawa is piloting a loan program for up to three years for home energy efficiency retrofits, to support local residents to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Zero-interest loan rates are expected to be available for 1-2 years while resources are available.

The program offers zero-interest, 20-year loans of up to $125,000 (or 10 percent of the current value assessment of the home, whichever is less) to cover the cost of home energy improvements like thermal envelope upgrades (basement/attic/exterior wall insulation, window/door replacements), mechanical systems (thermostats and controllers, air/ground source heat pumps, solar hot water systems), renewable energy (solar photovoltaic systems), EV chargers (Level 2), and the addition of rental suites (up to a maximum of 30% of the value of the loan).

With zero-interest, 20-year loans that are tied to the property, not the individual, the Better Homes Ottawa – Loan Program makes it easier and more affordable for homeowners to pay for these home improvements over time.

Application Process

  • Complete a pre-retrofit EnerGuide assessment. This assessment provides an NRCan EnerGuide rating for the home and recommends improvements that are customized for the home. Apply here.
  • Complete the Better Homes Loan Program Application Form.
  • If the homeowner’s Better Homes Loan Program Application Form meets all requirements of the program, the homeowner is issued a Notice to Proceed. Here, the homeowner receives a Better Homes Loan Program File Reference Number.
  • The homeowner can apply to any rebate programs they may be eligible for and get estimates from the contractor(s). Eligible costs are those that are incurred after the Notice to Proceed is issued.
  • Submit your Funding Request Form. At this stage of the process, a homeowner can choose to request 30% of funds upfront to cover deposits.
  • Complete a post-retrofit EnerGuide assessment after the retrofit projects. This assessment provides an updated EnerGuide rating for the home. Apply here.
  • Sign the Property Owner Agreement and submit a Project Completion Report.
  • The City of Ottawa provides the balance of the loan to the homeowner that they can use to pay the contractor(s).
  • The homeowner repays the loan over time via their property tax bill. A homeowner can choose to pay off the loan in a lump sum at any point without penalty.

Apply Today!

Newfoundland

Homesol now Services Newfoundland & Labrador

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Newfoundland & Labrador

Homesol Building Solutions now has Energy Advisors in Newfoundland and Labrador! Newfoundland is the latest province Homesol has expanded to, and now our services cover all the Atlantic provinces.

Homesol’s Canada Expansion

Starting in Ottawa in 1999, since then we have expanded to cover all of Ontario, then New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and now Newfoundland and Labrador. As the demand for Energy Advisors surges across the country, Homesol will soon be a coast-to-coast proud Canadian business!

If you are interested in having an Energy Assessment completed for your home to make energy-efficient and environmentally upgrades, contact us today!

watercolor westport

Homesol at Watercolour Westport

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Watercolour Westport

Over the Labour Day Weekend in 2021, the Homesol Building Solutions team was at the grand unveiling of Canada’s first Net-Zero community in Westport, Ontario. The community is called Watercolour Westport being built by Landark Homes. We have been working closely with Landark since even before ground broke on this first-of-its-kind community in Canada.

Homesol’s Contribution

Homesol is Landark’s net-zero energy advisor. We’ve been helping Landark since the inception of this community. We’ve been consulting with them on the performance aspects and the building science aspects of designing the house from insulation levels to airtightness details to mechanical specs.

We also performed the airtightness testing of the homes, and we do that in a couple of stages. We do that first at mid-construction, and when the house is being built and the air barriers complete. We’ll come in and do an air test just to make sure that the airtightness target is being met before it gets covered up. If it’s not being met, then we help find the leaks and suggest ways of sealing them.

Then we come back in at the final stage to do the final inspection to verify that all the mechanicals that were supposed to be installed are installed. And then we do another final air test. And that’s what we put into the energy model for the label.

RND Farmside

RND Construction’s Farmside Green Development

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Carlington, Ontario

Right near the Experimental Farm in Carlington, is Ottawa’s first Net-Zero home development project by RND Construction. In this new development, nine homes were built (3 singles, 6 semis) above and beyond the code for homes in Canada, making them extremely energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and Net-Zero ready. The addition of solar panels will make them true Net-Zero.

Environmentally Friendly

Not only are these homes built far more efficiently than traditional homes, but they were also constructed with the environmental impact in mind. Before these homes were built, nothing sat here but an empty lot, when construction began only a handful of dead trees were cut down for the homes to be built, the rest were saved and maintained, providing some very nice shading for these new homes in the front and backyards.

The grand opening of this development was joined by Mayor Jim Watson speaking about how this kind of development will not be the last, and that there are several more on the way in Ottawa, and that the need for solar and Net-Zero homes in Ottawa is more important now more than ever.

Homesol was RND’s Net-Zero Energy Advisors for this project. Homesol consulted RND throughout the construction process making sure that efficiency targets were being met for the labels and certifications.

 

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The Canada Greener Homes Grant

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About the Canada Greener Homes Grant

In the late Spring of 2021, the Federal Government of Canada announced the Canada Greener Homes Grant available to Canadian homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes. Homeowners who are eligible can apply and receive up to $5,000 in rebates for making energy-efficient and environmentally friendly retrofits to their homes include solar panels, air-source heat pumps, windows, furnaces, and more.

Getting Started

During the process, you will need to complete two EnerGuide evaluations; a pre and post-retrofit evaluation. These evaluations are completed by NRCan registered energy advisors.

When you register, you will search using your postal code and select a service organization, like Homesol, in your area. Once you choose your service organization and request your evaluation, you will be contacted by an energy advisor to set up your pre-retrofit evaluation appointment. You will not be reimbursed for the pre-retrofit evaluation unless you continue through the full Greener Homes Grant process.

The pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation provides you expert advice on what retrofits make the most sense for your home. It will help you understand how to improve the energy performance of your home. You must complete at least one recommended upgrade to receive any rebate (including one for the energy evaluations.

Post-Retrofit

When the pre-retrofit evaluation is complete, the energy advisor will provide you with:

    • An EnerGuide home rating and a label
    • A Homeowner Information Sheet that outlines the house as it is
    • A Renovation Upgrade Report with recommendations for improving your home’s energy performance

The post-retrofit evaluation, which you will receive after the work is complete, provides a measure of energy saved and greenhouse gas emissions reduced as a result of the retrofits.

You could receive a total reimbursement of up to $5,000 for retrofits and a contribution to the cost of the pre- and post-retrofit evaluations of up to a maximum of $600.

Learn More